This Figure shows the global sea-surface temperature measurements for May 1993 from the ATSR (Along-Track Scanning Radiometer) instrument on ERS-1. The data spatial resolution is half degree and the measurements are accurate globally to better than 0.3 degrees C (e.g. see Harris et al., Improved sea- surface temperature measurements from space, Geophys. Res. Lett., 22, 2159-2162, 1995). The few data gaps due to persistent cloud cover are shown as black.
Clearly visible are the warm western boundary currents such as the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio, the cold eastern boundary currents such as the California, Humboldt and Benguela currents, and the regions of cold upwelling off Namibia and Morocco. The effect of the Gulf Stream on Northern Europe is striking, the sea being warmer here than anywhere else at the same latitude. Also evident is the remarkable level of turbulent detail, particulary in the southern ocean.
The ATSR data are made available through RAL/NERC/ESA/BNSC. In generating the figure, improved cloud clearing has been applied using algorithms developed at the Southampton Oceanography Centre and at the Department of Space and Climate Physics of University College London (M.S. Jones, M.A. Saunders & T.G. Guymer, Reducing cloud contamination in ATSR averaged sea-surface temperature data, J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., in press, 1995).
[This Figure is supplied by Andrew Harris and Mark Saunders of University College London, and by Matthew Jones of the Southampton Oceanography Centre].
ESA EOQ Nr. 50.